I did good on my last Walther PP, what did I get here?

yellowsled · Dec 26, 2015

Not a mark I recognize. I assume its a police mark of some sort. Holster has the same mark. @ magazines came with it. One with the finger grip extension the other didn't. What do I got here? There is a "62" on the barrel, could that be the year?

somd_mustangs · Dec 26, 2015

That looks like the Lithuanian proof (Pillars of Gediminas) ?
hard to tell under the XX

That's a 1962 commercial proof ("antler") on the barrel, I believe
PP's and PPK's aren't really in my wheelhouse though.

somd_mustangs · Dec 26, 2015

might be another good one to post over on the P38/PP/PPK forum...

mawkie · Dec 26, 2015

That's a post-war PP and all the Lithuanian PPs I know of are pre war with "LFA" mark above a "M" prefix 4 digit SN, always found on the left side of the TG. Considering that Lithuania was under Soviet control during the Cold War period I doubt that any West German PPs would have been exported to them. Is the importer Interarms? I'm thinking this is ex European police or other government branch. Certainly not the more common Danish or Swedish PP. Agree with somd_mustangs, time to post this to the experts up on Jan Still's forum. Like that it has a matching holster, very interested to see if anyone can nail this one down.

yellowsled · Dec 26, 2015

It is a Interarms import. After a bit of looking around it seems to be a Hamburg police unit marking.

Additionally, I looked up the SN and it seems it is a 1962.

somd_mustangs · Dec 26, 2015

mawkie said:
That's a post-war PP and all the Lithuanian PPs I know of are pre war with "LFA" mark above a "M" prefix 4 digit SN, always found on the left side of the TG...

going off on a tangent, those LFA marks may be bogus or something else entirely...
There was one on GB a while back that generated some interest and none of the experts had seen a legit marking like that, nor would confirm it.
The S/N for that pistol checked out to be a 1938 PP, but the LLA didn't exist pre-war.
so take care if you run across one.
"...[PP] being marked with "LFA XXX" and supposedly used by the "Lithuanian Free Army". I found several references to the Lithuanian Free Army, but the Lithuanian language abbreviation for this organization is LLA".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_Freedom_Army

Based on that description it also seems highly unlikely they'd want to put a distinct marking on their firearms

expert commenting on the LFA XXXX marking:
"...the marking is not any known Lithuanian marking or a marking that anyone else has seen... In fact, for many collectors including myself it hurts the value as the gun was altered after leaving the factory."

another:
"In 1937 Walther delivered a number of PPKs to Lithuania. Those were in the SN range 955892 - 956660 and marked with the coat of arms of the city of Klaipeda (in German "Memel"): one big rectangle with a smaller one at each side (symbolizing the city gates)."
(this is the same as the Pillars of Gediminas)

Pretty sure all pre-war Lithuanian-accepted firearms would have this "Pillars" proof mark.

...end of derailment...

dreadpirate · Dec 26, 2015

yellowsled said:
It is a Interarms import. After a bit of looking around it seems to be a Hamburg police unit marking.

Additionally, I looked up the SN and it seems it is a 1962.

Yeah - I was going to say they were ex West German polizai (police). I too have a 32 auto PP polizai model (from "Lower Saxony" or Neittersheim I think) with similar proof marks. BTW - I think these were made in France and "proofed" in Ulm, Germany. European law considers the place were the weapon was proofed as the country of origin. Mine has an NDS stamp on the slide, again, I think the name of the police force.

dreadpirate · Dec 26, 2015

I was stationed in Germany and bought my PP (pictured above) for $90 circa 1985 from the Rod and Gun Club, I think it was Patch Barracks.

yellowsled · Dec 26, 2015

dreadpirate said:
I was stationed in Germany and bought my PP (pictured above) for $90 circa 1985 from the Rod and Gun Club, I think it was Patch Barracks.

I was stationed at Patch barracks. I got my drink on there many times, it is now just the base club.

dreadpirate · Dec 26, 2015

yellowsled said:
I was stationed at Patch barracks. I got my drink on there many times, it is now just the base club.

There was a nice skeet range there. A buddy of mine had this really nice Wincehster OU, I don't remember the model, but it was gorgeous.

I also bought a Walther P1 for $125 there. Really, really love that pistol.

I tipped a few beers (and shots or Remy Martin) over at patch. :party29:

mawkie · Dec 27, 2015

The NDS mark I've seen before. That Hamburg mark was new to me, learned something. Knew it had to be something along those lines. Very nice PP rig. I'm a sucker for a good matching holster so that's always a big plus.
Finally got some time to look up the Lithuanian thing online and somd_mustangs is right. Should know better than to rely on my failing memory. A wonder that someone hasn't tried to create a counterfeit Lithuanian stamp.

Stoic58 · Feb 11, 2016

Nice PP. I also have one with a cancelled Hamburg police mark on the frame. This one is an Interarms imported Manurhin PP with a serial number from 1956.

The police property mark looks like a simplified sketch of the castle on the coat of arms of the city of Hamburg.

fred333 · Feb 11, 2016

Stoic58 said:
I also have one with a cancelled Hamburg police mark on the frame. This one is an Interarms imported Manurhin PP with a serial number from 1956.

Very nice. :thumbsup:

It's interesting how an under-powered sidearm like the PPK can remain so relevant even after ~80 years. That's quite a testament to its design....and fame.

Machodoc · Feb 11, 2016

Ex-Hamburg police force.

I did good on my last Walther PP, what did I get here?

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